The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical fiber(s) incorporating therein dispersion compensating gratings for use in an optical communication device; more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a fiber package incorporating therein dispersion compensating gratings using a ribbon-type fiber stack.
xe2x80x9cDispersionxe2x80x9d hereafter will refer to chromatic dispersion of a transmission medium, e.g., an optical fiber(s). The chromatic dispersion occurs in the transmission medium if the speed of light in the medium depends on the wavelength of the light. Depending on the sign of the pulse of light, dispersion will either lengthen or shorten the time duration of the pulse.
Data transmission through the transmission medium is generally limited by the dispersion. The dispersion shown in FIG. 1 is prominently generated in a long-distance and high-speed transmission and, therefore, is regarded as one of critical problems in the light communication.
For compensating the dispersion, the optical transmission medium is used as either an optical waveguide in which the reflection indexes of core and cladding incorporated therein are controlled or an optical fiber including dispersion compensating gratings. Especially, the optical fiber having dispersion compensating gratings is expected to be more useful and advantageous in terms of its performance.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a conventional optical fiber 20 having dispersion compensating gratings 23, wherein the gratings 23 are incorporated in a core 21 surrounded by a cladding 22.
In optical communication of Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), various wavelengths are transmitted en masse, wherein each of the wavelengths is involved in one or more signal transmission channels.
For compensating the pulse dispersion, WDM utilizes either an optical fiber including various gratings or a number of optical fibers each having a corresponding grating. Thereafter, the optical fiber(s) having the grating(s) is(are) installed and connected to various optical communication devices.
Prior to the installation of such optical fibers in the optical communication devices, the optical fiber(s) is generally packed into a fiber package for adjusting it to a size required by the optical communication devices. However, the formation of the fiber package is very difficult because the optical fiber is very thin and fragile.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a ribbon-type fiber stack 30 incorporated in a ribbon-type optical cable previously disclosed. Typically, a ribbon-type fiber stack 30 includes eight or sixteen optical fibers 32. Accordingly, the ribbon-type fiber stack 30 may be useful in handling and packing a plurality of optical fibers 32.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a fiber package incorporating therein dispersion compensating gratings for use in an optical communication device.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a fiber package for use in an optical communication device, comprising the steps of: preparing a ribbon-type fiber stack having a pair of sheared sides, the ribbon-type fiber stack being provided with a plurality of fragmental optical fibers, each of fragmental optical fibers including a core surrounded by a cladding; partially peeling the claddings from the fragmental optical fibers to expose the cores; forming gratings into the exposed cores; and installing a pair of side connections on the pair of sheared sides in the ribbon-type fiber stack, thereby forming a fiber package.